Bandgladesh - A Four Musician Musical Dialogue

If you were to give four (musically gifted) inmates of some old Gotham-style antiquated loony-bin, two Handpan, a tambourine, and a microphone, and turn them loose in the sensory room to perform an impromptu concert - Bandgladesh - or at least, Bandgladesh, as seen in the first video below, is what we imagine, it might look a little bit like...

Meet, Bandgladesh, a musical dialogue between four musicians who blend the sounds of the handpan, trumpet, African N'goni, Brazilian cuica, and electronics.  

They sit clad in white, looking almost sinisterly-serene.  And the music itself kind of reflects that mood also… 



However, where Bandgladesh find themselves, is not inside a sanatorium (as we first believed). But inside the "Bubble" - A sixty square-meter inflatable white cloth structure, from within which Bandgladesh present an audiovisual show intended to lull all present into a "Hypnogogic state" - and upon, a "sensoral-journey".  The public is invited to come in, sit or lie down comfortably, and experience the sound and visual relationship that unfolds...

From time-to-time Bandgladesh do come out of their big white bubble though, as can be seen below, with the quartet giving a captivating performance live on the streets of Bilbao, an industrial port city in northern Spain...



And then it's back into their bubble with them - though now minus the white hospital-smocks - for this spectacular near-seventeen minutes long meditative musical-climax...



To find more from Bandgladesh, you can visit their website: HERE, or alternatively, find them over at Facebook: HERE

FrogLube - Environmentally-Friendly Rust Prevention for HandPan

While, as we’ve said before, at HPM we’re Ballistol users when it comes to protecting our Handpan (primarily because it’s generally easier, and cheaper to get your hands on in the UK), FrogLube, a biodegradable lubricant made from "USDA certified food-grade ingredients" has, almost inarguably, at time of posting, become the global Handpan community's rust-prevention treatment of choice.

It’s environmentally-friendly, it’s non-toxic, and perhaps most importantly for our purposes, the results of the only independently carried-out test to have been conducted (to date that we know of) of rust-prevention treatments upon shards of Handpan shell - showed that using this milky-green goo, is about as good as it gets, when it comes to preventing Handpan corrosion.

Believed to be made entirely from plant-matter - FrogLube, ranked highly among the top contenders, in a study conducted by forum user, Mudman, over at Handpan.org. And to give further weight to its popularity within the Handpan community, FrogLube is also (at time of posting) stocked, and sold by at least the following Handpan makers: Saraz, Pantheon Steel, and PanStream - and comes recommended by numerous others.

FrogLube is also stocked by Handpan hard-case makers, HardcaseTechnologies, who sell it alongside their cases (demonstration video below), and of course, FrogLube, can also be purchased at Amazon too (should that be more convenient).

Below you'll find another Handpan care and maintenance video by Handpan musician, Jeremy Arndt, demonstrating, among other things, how to apply FrogLube to your Handpan...

Jimmy’s House of Hammers - Specialist Handpan Making Equipment

One of the most visited pages on this website has always been the “how to make a Handpan” page - where (in lieu of anything resembling an actual step-by-step guide)  we have collected over the years various videos, and resources, that we hope might be of use, or interest, to those looking to start building their own pans.  

And so it is in that spirit that we’re using this short post, to share word of the recently launched: “Jimmy’s House of Hammers” - suppliers of specialist Handpan making equipment, brought to you by, Jimmy James, of Aciel.

At time of posting, the sale of tools, and supplies designed specifically for the production of Handpan, is fast becoming a niche-market within itself.  And while not all suppliers of DIY handpan making equipment demonstrate some kind of finished product, qualifying their wares as being “fit for purpose” - Jimmy James’s experience with the Aciel Handpan, should be enough to make anybody on the look-out for specialist Handpan building tools, with proven results, interested in taking a peek…

'several well known makers and many new ones already find my hammers helpful I am now making them available to a wider public...' - Jimmy James

For more information you can visit Jimmy's House of Hammers over at Facebook: HERE

David Charrier - The Man with the Steel Fists

We’ll be honest here, and say that this post’s title is highly misleading (we just wanted a cool “Kung-fu” style title) - because David Charrier is not some kind of “Hulk Smash!” operation, but instead, his hands dance like butterflies across the surface of the steel, enticing Angels to sing; with the slightest of tickles...

If you were around in the days when the Hang ruled pretty much in a kingdom of one (before the birth of the numerous makes of Handpan available these days), at a time when watching somebody play the Handpan on YouTube, meant watching one of the lucky few hypnotise the masses, into an intense state of both awe, and jealousy, on a PANArt Hang -, you’ll almost certainly be familiar with the sounds of, David Charrier. Quite possibly as one half of Keona (a duo formed with his cousin, Sylvain Paslier) - whose video, Hang Insomniac, has reached over three and a half million views (a fair share of which, we can lay claim to, with it being one of those videos that you’d play over and over and over...).  And his quirky early solo piece, Hang music question answer, has long since been a favourite.

Putting history back in its place though, David Charrier remains one of those Handpan artists, whose name, when you see it pop up in a YouTube video, or a Facebook post, tells you that upon hitting play, you’re going to be in for something special…

To find more from, David Charrier, you can visit his website: HERE (where he also offers lessons). Alternatively, you can find David Charrier at Facebook : HERE.

HandPan Get the Vadjraghanta Look

Vadjraghanta have been responsible for producing some of the most visually-stunning steel tongue drum offerings out there for a while now.  A rich-looking dulled-gold/bronze forms the base look of most Vadjraghanta creations, blended with tapestry-like weaves, fractal-like patterns, and embedded gem-like highlights.  If we could personally choose to hang any piece of playable-steel we’ve come across thus far, upon our wall, purely for its ornate qualities, the work of Vadjraghanta, would almost certainly be it.

And recently, we’ve noticed that Vadjraghanta creator, Oleg Veshii, is now bringing the skills he’s formed with his steel tongue drum range, to the Handpan. Collaborating with Handpan tuners, to serve up some of the most luxurious-looking Handpan, we’ve ever seen...

The above two instruments are both OMana Handpan (made by Roman Reva), that have gotten the Vadjraghanta treatment.  

While the one below is an SPB Pantam (made by Victor Levinson)...

Of course, how important “looks” are, to a musical instrument, is a matter of personal opinion.  And with the “Ryo Wo” pan above being priced for sale at close to $7000, plus shipping (at time of posting) - you are going to have to thrust your hands deeply within your pockets (or sell a kidney), to be able to place the sort of Handpan you can imagine Dwarf-armies battling Dragons over in Erebor, within your lap.  But then, these are certainly something that little extra bit special...

For more information you can visit the Vadjraghanta website: HERE, or find them at Facebook: HERE

The Handpan Podcast - News, Interviews, Music, and More...

If, like us, you’re a little bit late to the party that is the Handpan Podcast - don’t panic, it’s still very much there, and going (at time of posting at least) - you haven’t missed a thing.  Indeed, if, like us, you prefer to consume your Breaking Bad, or your Walking Dead, etc. in Marathon-form, you couldn’t have picked a better time to jump in…

The HandPan Podcast is the offering of, David Sunshine (and guests), a guy well-known within the Handpan community for both his skills on the Handpan, and in the kitchen.  David has a relaxed “radio-friendly” voice that is a pleasure to listen to, and the podcast itself, discusses such things as the different brands of Handpan, festival dates, and the latest album releases - while dropping in a sprinkling of choice Handpan tracks, and interviews with a variety of interesting people from the world of hand-played pan.

The show has a strong core-community-flavour to it, that may not be to everybody’s tastes, but if you’re drawn to the idea of bonding with your pan-brothers and sisters, around a camp-fire in a woodland somewhere - then this podcast is definitely for you.  And even if that’s not your thing, it still makes for an enjoyable listen.  

You can check out episode one below...

And then, if you'd like to hear more, you can head on over to the Handpan Podcast website: HERE, or find them at Facebook: HERE.

HandPan Wall-Mount Solution - By Artful Steel

It is well known within Handpan-circles, that storing your pan(s) within most bags, or cases, for any extended duration of time, will increase its chances of succumbing to rust damage.   And while a moisture-eater can help fight this off, Handpan players have experimented with all manner of alternative storage solutions, from IKEA-type shelving units, through to the more ornate, and custom made Handpan stands, offered by “HandPan Stuff”.

Another option, as offered by another company that we recently stumbled upon, named “Artful Steel”, is to wall-mount your Handpan.    

The product offered by Artful Steel, is a wall-mount solution, designed specifically for Handpan.  A kind of hook, and protective-base construction, that allows for a Handpan to be hung on the wall - minimizing the amount of space needed for the storage of a pan, in addition to, as their website states, showing off your hand-crafted musical instrument, as the “work of art”, that every Handpan, in its own way, is.

The steel arm (wrapped in a protective coating) is connected to the "landing base", a cushioned "buffering" area, that protects your instrument from direct contact with the wall. And in addition to looking very cool, there's no denying that it's a very practical solution, to the Handpan storage problem.

The price (around $100 at time of posting) came in for some criticism over at Facebook at time of launch, but presumably, if demand is there enough for the product that later batches can be produced in larger quantities, the price will begin to fall. And ultimately, you probably don't want to be hanging your instrument on the wall, without its protective case, on something that has been made-on-the-cheap.

You can watch a video of Handpan musician, Dan Mulqueen, unboxing his Artful Steel wall-mount below...


And find more information over at the Artful Steel website: HERE